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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23501815">Talia</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabitha_Black_Rose23/pseuds/Tabitha_Black_Rose23'>Tabitha_Black_Rose23</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Good Mother Talia al Ghul, Loss of Parent(s), Parent-Child Relationship, Talia al Ghul is Not a Rapist, Talia al Ghul-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:00:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23501815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabitha_Black_Rose23/pseuds/Tabitha_Black_Rose23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Before she became a mother, Talia didn't consider evil to be an inherited gene. She had been so innocent as a child? Hadn't she? </p>
<p>Moments in the life of Talia al Ghul.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Talia al Ghul &amp; Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Aged 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a sympathetic portrayal of Talia al Ghul’s life. This story is based off of her depiction in the Batman comics, but I did make up many elements of her backstory for this fanfic. This story does not align with Grant Morrison’s inaccurate portrayal of Talia.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>She was walking down a long corridor. For the life of her, she couldn't remember how she ended up there in the first place. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She raised a hand in front of her face but saw nothing. Engulfed in a sea of black, she was was sure she was going to drown. She flailed around trying to swim up to the surface but her feet remained planted on the cold, tile flooring. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>After a few moments, she saw a red light form some distance away. She started towards it but hesitated. There was something ominous about it, but she could see nothing else. Steadily, she walked closer to the crimson glow. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She stopped just in front of the light. Studying it up close, she could make out the shape of a woman's back. Feeling more confident, she spoke. </em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Excuse me miss, but I'm not sure where I am," she told the woman's back. Mama always told her to ask an adult for help if she got lost. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>The woman didn't respond.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Becoming slightly desperate, she tapped the woman on her shoulder. Father said it was rude to poke other people to get their attention, but she couldn't think of another way to get the woman to notice her.</em>
</p>
<p><em>Slowly, the woman turned to face her. </em>It was mama! <em>For a moment she was relieved until she realized mama wasn't glowing after all. She was completely covered in a thick, red substance. </em></p>
<p>Blood.</p>
<p>
  <em>Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes filled with tears. Mama opened her mouth and an anguished scream flew out…</em>
</p>
<p>Talia woke up gasping, her checks wet. It was the same nightmare that had plagued her for months now, ever since mama died.</p>
<p>Father wouldn't tell her what happened to mama, so Talia could only assume it was something horrible. Something even her father believed was too gruesome for her to hear. After all, her ninth birthday was less than two months away. Father said she was too old to be coddled anymore.</p>
<p>Father also had no tolerance for crying, especially over such trivial things as dreams.</p>
<p>Mama always made her feel better after a nightmare. She would let Talia stay in her bed for the rest of the night, and would snuggle her and sing sweet lullabies until she calmed down enough to fall back asleep. This would have angered father had he been aware it was happening.</p>
<p>"You know it wasn't real. It is absolutely ridiculous to get so hysterical because of a dream," he had growled at Talia the last time she'd been startled awake by a nightmare. Without thinking, she had ran into father's room and woke him. She should have realized he wouldn't comfort her as mama once did.</p>
<p>Talia hugged her pillow. She attempted to sleep again but gave up after a few minutes. She could hear rain beating down on the roof and wondered if it would last through the next day. Sometimes, when the weather was nice, she and her tutor would sit outside for her daily lessons. They would still be dreadfully boring, but at least she would get to enjoy the fresh air instead of being stuck in the musty library.</p>
<p>When she had first come to live at father's home, she was thrilled to learn he had his own library. She loved stories, especially fairy tales. She was extremely disappointed to learn that almost none of father's books were works of fiction, and the few that were "are definitely not meant for children." Or at least that's what her tutor had told her.</p>
<p>Before mama's death, Talia had never even visited father's house. She actually didn't know father all that well up until a few months ago.</p>
<p>She and mama had always lived in their little house. Deep in the woods, she and mama had no neighbors. There also wasn't a school close by, so mama was Talia's teacher.</p>
<p>"Your education thus far has been outstandingly inadequate," her tutor told her at the start of their second lesson. During the first, all he did was make Talia take tests. They lasted for hours. Apparently she didn't do very well.</p>
<p>Talia disagreed with her tutor though. Mama had been the best teacher. She was the one who taught Talia how to read and write, cook, sew, dance, and sing.</p>
<p>When father visited, he would bring them supplies. Food, clothing, reading material. But Talia hated the books he gave her. None of them were fairy tales, Talia's favorite stories. She and mama never <em>had </em>to buy things for themselves because of father's gifts, but once a month, she and mama would walk three miles each way to the nearest store. Mama would use the money father said was for "emergencies" to buy Talia the kind of books she wanted to read. Sometimes she would even have enough to buy Talia a toy.</p>
<p>Back when she still lived with mama, Talia felt guilty that her favorite toy was a doll father bought her, the only plaything she'd ever received from him. It was hard for mama to save the money to buy Talia the few toys she had. Father, Talia had realized at a young age, was rich. He could buy Talia all the toys he the world, but she only ever got the one doll from him.</p>
<p>Talia used to not know that father was her father. She thought he was just the man who brought them things. She believed everyone lived alone with just their mama and had a man who brought them things. On her fourth birthday though, father had gave her Lilah and told her to her he was her father.</p>
<p>The patter of the rain grew faster and louder and she began to get nervous. She shook as she heard a clap of thunder. Thunder made her uneasy. Shortly after, she saw a flash of blue where her curtains parted and she threw her blanket over her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Lightening terrified her. Father found her fear that lightening bolts could break through her window and electrocute her to be very childish.</p>
<p>Hesitantly, she got out from under her covers and crawled across her mattress towards the chest that sat at the end of her bed. She opened the lid as quietly as she could and retrieved Lilah. Lilah wasn't supposed to sleep in her bed because she was made of porcelain. Mama said Talia might knock her off the bed in her sleep and break her. Father said that a girl her age shouldn't rely on the prescience of an inanimate object for comfort.</p>
<p>Talia settled back under the warmth of her comforter. She made sure to tuck Lilah in and hug her tight so that she wouldn't also be frightened by the storm. The moonlight shining through the window illuminated the doll's face.</p>
<p>Father had obviously chosen to buy her because of her likeness to Talia. As a result of this resemblance, Talia would always pretend Lilah was her sister. Lilah's green eyes were the exact shade of Talia's, and their hair was also the same black color. Still, Lilah's skin was a paler shade than Talia's, and her hair was also much curlier than Talia's slight waves. Talia remembered mentioning this to mama who luckily knew of a way to make Talia's hair more like Lilah's.</p>
<p>After Talia's nightly bath, mama would roll her wet hair using strips of fabric cut from clothing Talia had outgrown. Once her hair was dry, would remove the fabric strips. Like magic, the fabric transformed Talia's hair into the same pin rolls that framed the face of her beautiful doll. Mama would even tie back the front of Talia's hair with a pink ribbon so that she matched Lilah completely. Talia now ran her fingers through the natural wave of her hair and regretted not trying to learn how to roll her hair herself while mama was still alive.</p>
<p>Thinking of mama was only further upsetting Talia. The grief she felt coupled with her fear of the continuing storm caused tears to roll down her checks. She allowed herself to sob silently during this moment, even though she usually did her best not cry because she knew it would anger father. She wished mama would appear to comfort her. She lost track of how many times she'd made that wish since mama's death.</p>
<p>She looked at Lilah. The doll really did look so much like Talia had when mama was still alive: black curls, a pink ribbon, and a soft smile. Looking in the mirror recently, Talia realized she now looked much more like mama than Lilah. She naturally possessed mama's tan skin, wide eyes, long hair, and facial features. She wasn't upset that she didn't have a photo of mama because saw her mother's face every time she looked at herself.</p>
<p>Talia was not sure why, but she decided to pretend that she was mama and that Lilah was her. She stroked Lilah's curls and softly sung the lullaby mama would sing to her after she had a nightmare. It worked for a moment, and Talia felt almost peaceful.</p>
<p>In fact, she would have even fallen back asleep if father hadn't heard her.</p>
<p>He burst through the bedroom door and pulled Talia from her bed.</p>
<p>"What are you doing awake at this hour, it's the middle of the night?!" He screamed.</p>
<p>Talia trembled.</p>
<p>"I had another nightmare and then I was scared by the storm," she answered him softly.</p>
<p>Without saying another word, father grabbed her arm and dragged her out of her room and down the hallway. Talia was too frightened to ask where he was taking her.</p>
<p>They reached the door to the courtyard and father pushed her outside.</p>
<p>"You will remain out here for the rest of the night so that you learn how irrational it is to be afraid of rain," he told her before retreating back inside.</p>
<p>Talia knew there was no use arguing with him. She was calm for a brief moment. She was completely in the dark and wouldn't have been able to tell she was outside if it were not for the rain drops gently hitting her skin. The worst of the storm had passed, and there wasn't any more thunder or lightning that night.</p>
<p>Still, Talia quickly grew cold. She was only wearing a thin nightgown. She was able to make out the outline of the door as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pulled on the handle until she realized father had locked her out.</p>
<p>She stood by the door for about an hour. Her body became so cold that she began to shiver uncontrollably. She curled into a ball and rubbed her arms but it did very little to warm her up. She desperately tried to stop crying as she noticed that her tears were freezing to her face.</p>
<p>Finally, she remembered the tablecloth that decorated the main table at the center of the courtyard. She hoped that the tablecloth wasn't taken in for the night. Thankfully it wasn't, and the big umbrella that covered the table had also been left open so that cloth was mostly dry. Talia carefully removed it from the table and wrapped it around herself. Then she crawled under the table so that she could lay down on the dry ground beneath it.</p>
<p>She was still cold, but the protection of the table cloth was at least able to lessen her shivering.</p>
<p>With dismay, her thoughts turned to Lilah. She was terrified that father would have noticed the doll in her bed. She was nervous that father would get rid of Lilah while she was trapped outside. Talia wondered if Lilah would miss her the same way she missed mama.</p>
<p>Out of sheen exhaustion, Talia was soon able to fall asleep. The sun began to rise shortly after, further warming her. The rain stopped completely by the time Talia awoke.</p>
<p>She was still freezing, her nightgown damp and cold. Nevertheless, she still made sure to neatly put back the table cloth before trying the door. She was thrilled to find it unlocked and she hurried inside.</p>
<p>Father was nowhere to be seen, so Talia quietly returned to her room. She was relieved to see Lilah resting against the pillows on her bed. She also saw that someone had made the bed and laid out clean clothing for her. Talia noticed a note that had been placed beside the clothes.</p>
<p>
  <em>I am proud to see that you were able to face your fear of thunderstorms. Take a warm bath and get dressed. Then meet me in the dining room for breakfast. ~ father</em>
</p>
<p>Talia kissed Lilah on her head and then made her way to the bathroom. She was pleased to discover that her bath had already been drawn for her. As she settled into the warm water, she decided that father must love her after all.</p>
<p>Still, whenever she was scared after that night, Talia would only dare to sing mother's lullaby in her imagination.</p>
<p>
  <strong>To be continued. </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Aged 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Talia as a preteen.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Talia looked in the bathroom mirror, examining her naked body. She had just stepped out of the shower and realized it had been a while since she last checked for changes. Usually, her looks were the last thing she worried about, but they had become a more pressing concern during the past year.</p><p>It started when father introduced her to an associate's daughter, Nailah. Meeting Nailah was an odd experience for Talia as both she and Nailah were 11 years old at the time. It was the first time Talia had ever interacted with someone her own age.</p><p>She couldn't remember what Nailah's father did, or even what his name was, but Talia knew that father wanted his visit to be a pleasant one. She figured that he must have known information that was important to the league.</p><p>It was evident that this man held a great affection for his daughter. Talia had been jealous of the love and attention given to Nailah. The girl's father constantly praised her, and never hesitated to hug or kiss her. Talia's father never held her that way. In fact, Nailah even called her father baba. Talia had to admit to herself that their relationship reminded her of how close she used to be to her mama.</p><p>Father was extra nice to Talia during the month of Nailah and her baba's visit. Talia didn't have to spend hours a day training or working with her tutor, father only asked that she be welcoming to Nailah. Talia knew that father was trying to get close to Nailah's baba by making him believe that he treated Talia similar to the way Nailah's baba treated her.</p><p>On the first day of the visit, father introduced Talia to Nailah and told her to take Nailah to her room so she could unpack her things. Talia would never question father's orders, but she still didn't know why father had Nailah stay with her in her bedroom when the house had 10 guest rooms.</p><p>"What should we do after Nailah has unpacked?" Talia asked her father.</p><p>"You two can play in your room until lunch time," father told her, acting as if letting her play was a usual occurrence. It wasn't. Talia hadn't played since she lived with mama, and she had never done so with another child.</p><p>Still, Talia gave no indication that she was confused by father's instructions. She picked up one of Nailah's two suitcases and silently led the girl to her bedroom.</p><p>"You can put your things in here," she said to Nailah, gesturing to the top two drawers of her dresser. "I emptied them so you wouldn't have to keep all your clothes in your suitcase."</p><p>"Thank you, that's very kind," Nailah had replied with a smile. "I hope you don't mind me staying in your room with you."</p><p>"Of course not. I'm very happy you're here," Talia answered as convincingly as she could. She wasn't exactly angry or upset at having to share her room, she just felt uncomfortable. She wasn't used to company. She had grown accustomed to spending a lot of her time alone in her bedroom since living with father.</p><p>Talia watched Nailah examine the room, unsure of what the girl was thinking. Nailah's eyes stopped when she spotted Lilah. The doll sat on Talia's bed, dutifully waiting should Talia need comfort.</p><p>"Oh good, you like dolls too!" Nailah bounced as she spoke. "They're my favorite kind of toy. We can play dolls together after I put my clothes away!"</p><p>"No we can't," Talia replied softly. Nailah looked hurt. "It's not that I don't want to play with you," Talia quickly continued. "It's just that I only have the one doll."</p><p>"Oh, that won't be a problem," Nailah informed her with a smile. She opened her second suitcase, and Talia was surprised to see it was filled with toys.</p><p>"Your father let you bring all of that with you?" She asked in astonishment.</p><p>"Of course he did," Nailah replied. "I'll be here for a month. I need something to do during all that time. Besides, I only brought my very favorite things. I had to leave most of my toys at home."</p><p>Talia watched Nailah rummage through the suitcase. It was filled with marbles, playing cards, books, and small, plastic animal figures. She had never seen so many toys at once. She hoped Nailah wouldn't realize that Lilah was her only toy.</p><p>"Ah, here she is," Nailah said as she pulled out a doll. There were even more things underneath the toys Talia was able to see. "This is Myra."</p><p>The doll was a bit smaller than Lilah, and it was made of plastic instead of porcelain. Still, Myra was beautiful. Her face was just as detailed as Lilah's with deep brown eyes and rose tinted checks. Her hair had a red hue, and was tied into pigtail braids.</p><p>"She's lovely."</p><p>"Thank you. What's your doll's name again?" Nailah questioned.</p><p>"Lilah," Talia told her. She walked to her bed and picked Lilah up, proudly showing her off.</p><p>Talia grew excited. She had never been able to play with two dolls at once. She helped Nailah put her clothes in the top drawer. Then Nailah placed her smaller toys in the second drawer as Talia cleared a space in her closet to fit the larger ones.</p><p>After Nailah had settled in, the girls played with their dolls the rest of the day, only taking breaks when they were called for lunch and dinner. It was the most fun Talia had since coming to live with father. Actually, it was probably even more amusing than any of the playtimes she had shared with mama, though she felt guilty admitting it to herself.</p><p>Her favorite thing to play with quickly became Nailah's tea set. It came in a wooden basket, the inside of which was lined with pink velvet. The teacups and saucers were real china, and delicate bluebirds were hand painted along the rims of each cup. Talia felt like a princess using such fine tableware. Nailah was delighted to learn that Talia knew how to make real tea so that their parties would be "authentic," yet she obviously was less thrilled with the taste judging by the amount of sugar she added to every cup she drank. They'd place their dolls around the small tables they used for these parties so they'd have guests to entertain, but they never wasted tea by pouring it into the empty cups they positioned in front of the dolls.</p><p>"I wish we had some real guests," Nailah announced at one of their tea parties. It was about half way into her visit at this time, and both girls wore woven brackets made by the other to signify their status as "best friends."</p><p>"Back home I could have all my friends from school at my tea parties, it was much more exciting than just entertaining dolls," Nailah continued.</p><p>Talia suddenly experienced an emotion she had never felt before. It made her angry and self-conscious thinking about Nailah's other friends. She was jealous.</p><p>"Well, I'm happy enough with just you here," she said, unable to keep the contempt out of her voice.</p><p>"Don't get upset," Nailah sighed. "I already told you that you're my new best friend. I just like to play with more than one person at once sometimes. I'm sure you'd have more fun too if you had your other friends here with me."</p><p>"I don't have other friends. You're my first one," Talia hesitantly revealed. She immediately regretted it when she saw the look of pity on Nailah's face.</p><p>"I don't mind it," she tried to convince her. "It's just hard for me to meet girls my age, being homeschooled and all. That and we live so far away from everyone else. It's not easy to have people over when they have to climb a mountain to get here."</p><p>"We didn't have to climb. There was a spot where my baba could land his helicopter right near your house. Though I guess most girls' babas don't own their own helicopters."</p><p>Talia shook her head.</p><p>"I know!" Nailah told her excitedly. "You could visit me at my house sometime and I'll have a tea party then so you can meet all my other friends. I'm sure they'd like you, they all like to play with dolls too."</p><p>"Yeah, that would be wonderful," Talia smiled softly, trying to think of a way to change the subject. She knew father would never allow her to visit Nailah just so they could have a tea party. Even if he had to go see Nailah's baba for some reason, he'd just leave Talia at home.</p><p>"Did I tell you the real story of the Little Mermaid yet?" She asked Nailah.</p><p>"No, tell me!"</p><p>Talia knew that'd catch Nailah's attention. Like Talia, she loved fairy tales but she'd only ever heard the watered down versions of Talia's favorite stories. At age 11 she ate up the real fairy tales with a morbid curiosity. She was most shocked to learn that the evil step sisters cut of their heels and toes to try to fit into Cinderella's glass slipper, and that they were punished for their deceit by having their eyes pecked out by birds.</p><p>Mama always told Talia the real stories. She was kind but she never coddled Talia. Mama wanted her to learn from these stories, and she believed leaving out significant details would take away from the stories' purposes. Talia couldn't imagine having a better mother. She often wondered how different her life would be if mama was still alive.</p>
<hr/><p>Two weeks later it was time for Nailah to go home. Talia was very upset. She knew with Nailah gone she'll no longer be allowed to play, she'll have to go back to training for eight hours everyday along with 5 hours of schooling. Plus, she knew she was going to miss Nailah terribly, her first and only friend.</p><p>Talia helped Nailah pack her things, trying to be optimistic that she would seen the girl again someday. Nailah seemed to sense her despondency.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll write to you, and you can write back. We have each other's addresses," she assured her.</p><p>"I know," Talia replied. "But it won't be the same. I'll miss our tea parties, and telling you stories."</p><p>Nailah grinned.</p><p>"I want you to have something," she said.</p><p>She pulled a book out of her suitcase. Talia recognized it as an anthology of fairy tales. They weren't the true versions of the stories that mama used to tell her, but they were still nice. Besides, she had learned that it could be nice to imagine a world where nothing bad ever happens and happy endings are guaranteed.</p><p>"I can't take your book,"she told Nailah. As much as she would love the book, she didn't think father would let her keep it.</p><p>"Yes you can," Nailah replied. "It's a thank you present for being a good host. You let me stay in your room and made me feel so welcome. It would be improper for me not to give you anything in return. In fact, I'd be insulted if you <em>didn't </em>take the book."</p><p>"Well, in that case I guess I have no choice but to accept your gift."</p><p>Talia still had the book. She kept it hidden in her "ladies drawer" which father had the decency not to snoop in, although Talia hadn't yet required any of the materials in the drawer except for the book. She only dared to read it in the middle of the night when she knew father was asleep.</p><p>She also still wrote to Nailah. It had been almost a year and a half since her visit and Talia could tell by her letters that Nailah had changed a lot. She was no longer interested in dolls, she never mentioned Myra anymore. Now all she talked about was clothing, and makeup… and boys.</p><p>If meeting a girl her own age was odd to Talia, being around a male her age was as foreign to her as living underwater. She also couldn't relate to any conversation about fashion or cosmetics. Father didn't allow her to wear make up and he had clothes made for her to his specifications. She had very few outfits. The ones she did have were designed for training. Certainly not the kind of attire typically desired by a preteen girl.</p><p>She also still loved her doll, though she would ever admit it to Nailah now. While rigorous training and schooling and made her grow more intelligent and prepared to be a member of the league, lack of socialization had definitionally stunted her maturity.</p><p>Nailah seemed much older now, and not only because of her evolving interests. She had also changed physically.</p><p>Nailah went on many trips with her baba and she would often send Talia photographs. Looking at Nailah pose in front of various historic monuments, Talia couldn't help but compare their bodies. Nailah looked more and more like a woman in every new photo Talia received from her. Talia still looked like a little girl, and it was making her self-conscious.</p><p>Now as she studied her body in the mirror she still saw no signs that she too was being to turn into a grownup woman. She was especially disappointed as today was her thirteenth birthday. She thought for sure becoming a teenager would have brought about some changes.</p><p>She sighed as she quickly dressed herself. She and father were going to have breakfast together this morning and he would be angry if she were late.</p><p>When she arrived at the dining room she was surprised to seen her father smiling. It was truly an unusual sight.</p><p>"There's my beautiful daughter," he said. "Happy birthday, child."</p><p>"Thank you father," she replied, trying not to give away her astonishment. Her father hadn't acknowledged her birthday since she came to live with him.</p><p>"I have a present for you," he told her, pulling a small box out of his pocket. "You can open it now."</p><p>Inside was a gorgeous necklace, a teardrop shaped blue jewel attached to a gold chain.</p><p>"That's real sapphire," her father informed her.</p><p>"I love it," Talia said. At this point there was no hiding her amazement. "But what did I do to deserve it?"</p><p>"You turned 13," father replied with a laugh. "Today you are officially a young women."</p><p>That made Talia feel good.</p><p>"Besides, it was already yours before this day. I had previously gifted it to your mother when she told me she was pregnant with you. She wanted you to have it when you were old enough, I was just holding onto it for you until then."</p><p>Talia actually stood up from her chair and hugged her father. He would accept physical affection from her if it was a show of gratitude.</p><p>"Thank you so much. I am so grateful."</p><p>"Your welcome, Talia. Know that I am thankful as well for having you as a daughter. You know that I have had other children besides you, correct?"</p><p>Talia nodded.</p><p>"Well they all pale in comparison to you. None are as smart or as capable. You're nearly perfect. Your only flaw being your gender."</p><p>Talia was in such a good mood that even her father's blatant misogyny didn't bother her.</p><p>"Because of how well you're doing in your training, I think it's only proper that you begin receiving formal assignments for the league," her father continued. "In fact I have a task for you that I need you to execute today."</p><p>"What is it?" I'll do whatever you need me to."</p><p>"Well it seems that your tutor has been giving away classified information to one of my enemies."</p><p>"What? Why?" Talia asked. She was shocked. While she was never fond of her tutor, she never suspected that he could be a spy. How could even have the time to uncover secret information about the league when he spent so many hours a day lecturing Talia?</p><p>"He was bribed, the fool. The money he was receiving to educate you was all ready too expensive. He let greed cloud his judgement. Disloyalty is unforgivable in the league. He needs to be eliminated immediately."</p><p>Talia gulped.</p><p>"He will suspect something if I approach him under the guise of discussing your education. I only ever speak to him about such matters on the second Tuesday of every month. This, however, is a time sensitive issue."</p><p>"I understand, father. How should I do it?"</p><p>Her father handed her a knife from the kitchen table.</p><p>"Hide this up your sleeve," he told her. "Go to your lessons as normal, don't let him suspect something is amiss. He is going to dismiss you early today for your birthday. Exit the room and position yourself beside the doorway. When he leaves the room you will ambush him from behind and stab him in the neck. You should know which area a stab wound will cause him to bleed out the quickest from your training."</p>
<hr/><p>Talia was nervous as she read her science textbook. She glanced up at her tutor. He was busy writing something. It didn't matter what. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he would be dead within the hour. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she'd be the one to take his life.</p><p>She had never killed somebody before, though she thought about it in theory almost everyday. She had known for years now that she was training to be an assassin, she just didn't think she'd start working so soon.</p><p>"<em>I shouldn't be surprised," </em>she thought to herself. <em>"I'm a women today. I may not look like one, or feel like one, but I am. Father said so and he's always right."</em></p><p>The killing itself was fairly easy. She knew how to be quiet, she knew how to sneak up on someone, she knew the areas where people's bodies were most vulnerable, and she knew how to use a knife.</p><p>Still she couldn't stop herself from sobbing as her tutor hit the ground, blood pouring from his neck.</p><p>Father was not happy with her tears, but he seemed satisfied with how flawlessly she was able to execute his plan. She didn't hesitate, not once, even though she wanted to.</p><p>She prepared to step into the shower for the second time that day. She had her tutors blood spattered all across her body, some was even beginning to dry into her hair.</p><p>She stripped off her clothes and was surprised to see blood in her underwear for the first time ever. For a moment she couldn't figure out how she had gotten tutor's blood <em>down there,</em> but then she realized that this blood was her own.</p><p>Her father's words from breakfast echoed in her ears.</p><p>"<em>Today you are officially a young woman."</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Aged 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Talia at 16 years of age.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Father had given Talia a very important mission. She was supposed to "go home" with a corrupt politician that had been on league's radar for quite sometime. Father explained to her that the politician wouldn't actually be taking her to his house. He was staying in the penthouse suite of a very luxurious hotel.</p><p>At 16 years of age, Talia was old enough to have a vague idea about sex, but she wasn't really sure of the actual mechanics. Still, she knew it was not something she wanted to do with an aging, overweight politician who already had a reputation for preferring women much younger than himself. Thankfully, father assured her that she wouldn't actually have to sleep with him. She would only pretend to be a prostitute, tamper with his drink, and then search his hotel room for information while he was passed out.</p><p>Still, she had never done anything quite like this before. She had procured information for the league many times, but it had always been under the guise of being an innocent little girl. After all, no one expects a child to be a highly trained assassin. Until recently, all she needed to do to get a high profile enemy of the league to invite her into his home was to knock on his front door and say that she was selling cookies.</p><p>A lot had changed in a year, mainly her physique. As her body finally developed from a child to a woman, the assignments she was given changed drastically. While much of what she did for the league had the same end result (obtaining information, easy kills, that sort of thing), the methods in which she accomplished said tasks were very different. That being said, she had yet to do anything in the category of disgusting herself as a sex worker.</p><p>She knew that she needed to do some research if she ever hoped to successfully execute her assignment. She had no idea how a prostitute was supposed to act, and that was a problem since she had it on good authority that her target was very familiar with women in that line of work.</p><p>She had flew into the city where the politician was visiting alone. She was glad no one in the league was with her because it was apparent how nervous she was. One of the flight attendants on the plane had asked if she was okay and assured her that many people experienced anxiety about flying. She couldn't tell the women that she had flown many times before and she was actually worried about how she was going to effectively pose as a sex worker.</p><p>It saddened her when she realized the city the league had sent her to was where Nailah's family's main home was located. Nailah, her first and only friend had stopped answering her letters a year and a half ago. Talia couldn't blame her. Nailah's life was filled with exciting vacations and loads of friends. Talia traveled a lot too, but it was only for work with the league which she was forbidden to discuss with anyone. She didn't have any friends either, or any other family except father. She was a boring correspondent.</p><p>Talia decided that she needed to study some prostitutes at work so she could imitate their behavior with the politician, but she was unsure of the places where she could encounter such women. After all, the politician wouldn't be looking for just any woman hooking on the streets, he would want something more classy. Talia had heard that high end prostitutes were called escorts, and she had no idea where they went job hunting.</p><p>She contemplated going to the bar where the target was known to frequent, that's where she was told to go so he could pick her up, but she decided that would be too risky. If the politician noticed her studying the escorts he would definitely become suspicious. She needed to find another place to conduct her research. She walked around the city for awhile until she came across an expensive looking club.</p><p>The league had provided her with fake identification she could show as proof of adulthood, but nobody asked her to show it to them.</p><p>She was only in the club for a few moments before she realized her mistake.</p><p>This establishment clearly catered to young people. Most of the patrons were teenagers, though it was technically illegal for them to be allowed in such a place. If father were present he would have ordered her to leave immediately and refocus on her mission, but instead she took a seat at the bar.</p><p>Looking around the room was a bit surreal. The club was filled with teenagers and she had previously only met one person her own age. She couldn't imagine a life that the kids surrounding her thought of as normal: going to school during the week and going out with friends during the weekend. It was impossible to picture an existence in which her main concerns were homework and popularity instead of training and pleasing father.</p><p>She ordered some soda, a bigger rebellion than drinking alcohol could ever be for the other teens in the club. She had never had such a drink before. She and mama were lucky they had access to clean water and father didn't allow her to consume any sugar. She'd seen people drinking soda on TV shows the handful on times she had access to a television while staying in hotel rooms alone. She knew that drinking soda was a normal thing to do and she desperately wanted to be a normal girl for even just a moment.</p><p>The drink was horribly disappointing. The carbonation burned her throat and she couldn't understand why anyone would consume such a thing for pleasure.</p><p>"Talia?" She suddenly heard somebody ask. She jumped in her seat.</p><p>Did father have another member of the league following her? Would they tell him how she was waisting her time trying forbidden drinks instead of working on her assignment? She would be in so much trouble.</p><p>"Talia, that is you, isn't it?" The voice was closer now. Talia turned towards it, prepared to face the consequences of her deviant behavior.</p><p>She was relieved to see that the voice wasn't anyone from the league. It was Nailah!</p><p>Nailah approached Talia, another girl trailing behind her.</p><p>"Talia, I knew that was you."</p><p>"Oh, hi Nailah," Talia responded, trying to seem calm and casual. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"What would I not be doing her?" Nailah replied with a laugh. It wasn't like the laugh Talia remembered from her childhood, this laugh was more mocking than amused. "Everyone knows this is the hottest club in the city. You know that this is where I live except for when I'm not traveling around the world of course."</p><p>"Oh right, I'd forgotten this is where you're from," Talia said. She was lying. "I'm here in the city for a couple of days visiting a friend. I thought I'd check this place out." That obviously was also a lie.</p><p>"Oh really? Where are my manners? This is Celia," Nailah said gesturing to the girl she was with.</p><p>Celia and Talia exchanged brief hellos.</p><p>"Celia is my best friend".</p><p>"<em>So much for 'best friends forever,'" </em>Talia thought.</p><p>"Where is your friend?"</p><p>"She's not here right now, I actually have to leave to go meet her. It was nice seeing you again, Nailah." Talia stood up.</p><p>The last time Talia and Nailah parted they exchanged long goodbyes. With tears in their eyes they hugged each other tightly, neither one of them ready to let the other go. Now Talia waited for Nailah to say something before she left. Nailah didn't and the two girls starred at each other awkwardly until Talia finally walked away.</p><p>Instead of leaving the club Talia found the bathroom. She splashed her face with water. Father would be embarrassed if her knew she was upset over something so trivial.</p><p>Nailah and Celia must have thought she already left the club because when she exited the bathroom she could hear them laughing and talking about her. They were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice her listening.</p><p>"What a faker!" She heard Nailah say, her voice indicating that their interaction had amused her.</p><p>"Was that the weird girl you told me about that you used to be friends with? The one who wasn't allowed to leave the house?"</p><p>Celia also clearly also found the situation funny.</p><p>"That was her! Her father didn't even let her go to school, and her only other friend besides me was a doll! I was too dumb to realize what a freak she was when we were kids, but I had to stop writing to her because she only ever talked about her father. I would feel bad for her, but she was clearly lying about going to see a friend. How pathetic! I think she might have finally escaped her baba, that's the only reason why she could possibly be in the city."</p><p>Nailah was right about her not being truthful. That didn't make Talia hurt any less at the words of the only friend she'd ever had, and probably would ever have.</p><p>Nailah and Celia kept giggling.</p><p>"And did you see what she was wearing?"</p><p>Talia decided she didn't want to hear anymore. She left the club.</p><p>She didn't even think about looking for another bar or club to go to research the escorts. She walked straight back to her hotel. She went to bed immediately, and without father or anyone else from the league around she felt safe enough to sob into her pillow.</p><p>She realized that what Nailah had said about her wouldn't have been as painful if she wasn't already so lonely. She rarely slept with Lilah in her bed nowadays, but she found herself longing for the comfort of her doll.</p><p>The next morning she told a hotel concierge that her boss had requested she hire an escort for him and asked where she could find one. No one had asked the concierge such a question so directly, but although he was clearly taken aback he was surprisingly helpful.</p><p>That night she went to the bar the concierge had directed her to and observed the interactions the escorts had with various men before they left together.</p><p>The next day she went shopping.</p><p>She bought a small red dress that was very complementary to her body's new womanly "assets" and a watching pair of heels. She also purchased some makeup.</p><p>She had fun putting the makeup on later that night. She had never been allowed to wear makeup before and she had to redo it a few times before it looked right. She put on the dress and heels and looked in the mirror. She had never felt so beautiful, so glamorous.</p><p>She felt differently in the bar where she was supposed to encounter the politician. She didn't like the way the men in the bar were looking at her. No one had ever looked at her that way before. When she was alone in her hotel room she felt confident, now among the men she was uncomfortable.</p><p>The politician singled her out almost immediately, offering to buy her a drink. It didn't surprise her. She was aware that he liked younger looking partners.</p><p>She asked him to order her the same drink that he was going to have. She spilled the vial father had provided her with into her drink and then switched it with the politician's when he wasn't paying attention. Then she suggested that he take her to his hotel before he got too drowsy.</p><p>He passed out also immediately when they entered the hotel suite. Talia was relieved to let him drop to the floor. She had to help hold him up in the elevator on the way to the penthouse. He just thought he had too much to drink.</p><p>Talia wasn't worried now that the target was incapacitated. He'd at least sleep until morning and by then she'd be long gone. He probably wouldn't even remember meeting because the high potency of the sedative that she had given him.</p><p>She didn't have to tear the room apart to find what she needed. She was used to this part. She was experienced enough to know where men like him hid their secrets.</p><p>When she got home threw out the book of fairytales Nailah had gifted her all those years ago. She'd kept it hidden all this time, treasuring it. Now the sight of it angered her.</p><p>She had discarded the dress and heels she'd bought for her mission before getting on the plane home, but she brought the makeup back with her. She slowly started wearing it more and more, hoping that father wouldn't notice if she went about it gradually.</p><p>First she started to wear the foundation she had purchased on almost a daily basis. Then she started applying a little bit of mascara, and then one day a natural shade of lipstick.</p><p>"You know, I don't mind anymore if you wear makeup," father eventually told her. "Now that you're older I'm sure that you've realized that beauty is a weapon. Cosmetics can help you enhance your natural beauty, allowing you to better use this weapon."</p><p>She still wore makeup after that but she didn't enjoy it as much.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Aged 19 Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this chapter took forever to post. I got very busy with school and then other things. When I finally got to writing this chapter, it turned into a monster, so I decided it was best to split it into two parts. The second part of this chapter will be posted soon though!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two tiny pink lines. That's all it took to blow up her whole world.</p>
<p>At this point in her life, Talia was unfazed by any life altering changes. After the sudden death of her mother, Talia learned at the tender age of 8 that you could become a whole new person in an instant. The girl she had been before coming to live with father didn't feel like her anymore, she felt like Talia's lost childhood friend.</p>
<p>This, however, this was completely different. This would damn another innocent life to her same fate: Never safe, never free, always bound to the will of her father…</p>
<p>Father always told her she was his favorite child. Talia knew this was the truth and not just emotional manipulation disguised as a compliment. Father didn't particularly care for the female gender. He saw himself as superior to everyone in the world, but he viewed women as especially subservient. The fact the he would admit his fondness and respect for Talia meant his love for her was genuine (if it could even be called love).</p>
<p>Talia liked to think that her father was capable of love, but she never could be sure. If he was, he definitely loved her. And even after all he put her through, Talia would be lying if she claimed she didn't love her father. How could she not come to adore the man she spent all her time with, the person she was closest to, even if he was a monster? Still, she loved her mother far more, that was certain.</p>
<p>She thought she'd never come to love someone as much as she loved her mama, let alone more, until she met Bruce.</p>
<p>The league frequently got new recruits and, though most of them were unable to make it through training, there was always a relatively large influx of new members. Talia didn't bother to learn most of their names. They were unimportant, just pawns in a chess game of which her father was in control. The majority of them would be dead by next year.</p>
<p>Still, every now and then her father would pay special attention to a new member, always one he recruited himself because he had something specific he intended to gain from that individual. Nonetheless, it was not until Bruce arrived that father actually took the time to personally train a recent inductee.</p>
<p>Given father's interest in Bruce, Talia was not surprised when he personally introduced the two of them.</p>
<p>"Bruce, this is my daughter Talia. Talia, this is Bruce Wayne, one of our new trainees."</p>
<p>"Hello," Talia greeted him.</p>
<p>"How do you do?" Bruce replied shyly.</p>
<p>He awkwardly stuck out his hand, and it took Talia a few seconds to realize that she was supposed to shake it. It was the first time she had touched a man who wasn't her father.</p>
<p>That is, besides when she was in the process of fighting, drugging, or killing someone.</p>
<p><em>Wayne? </em>That name sounded familiar.</p>
<p>"I think I've stayed in one of your hotels before," she told him.</p>
<p>"Which one?" He asked. "There are hundreds."</p>
<p>That was the first conversation she had with Bruce, the first of many. She was 18 and he was 21, though she was probably more mature, even then.</p>
<p>Talia knew father was wealthy but compared to Bruce's fortune he looked like a beggar. If Bruce realized this, he never pointed it out.</p>
<p>He was kind. He was always complimenting father. Whether to tell him how lovely his home was or how wonderful his daughter is.</p>
<p>Father explained that he wanted Talia to teach Bruce Arabic, and for Bruce to teach her English. They both spoke fluent Mandarin, so they would have no problem communicating.</p>
<p>"But I already know English," Talia reminded her father.</p>
<p>"Barely," he growled. Talia went red.</p>
<p>That stopped her from asking him any more questions. Still, the assignment was odd. They had tutors on hand to teach new languages to everyone in the league, Talia included.</p>
<p>It turned out that Bruce learned languages fast, even faster than Talia, though she hated to admit it. He already knew even more languages than her. He was fluent in English, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, French, Dutch, Russian, and he even understood Latin.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Talia had an advantage by already having a basic understanding of English. Soon father was satisfied with both their progress and he gave Talia a new assignment, teaching Bruce sparring. This she was much better at than him, and it admittedly brought her a bit of amusing satisfaction.</p>
<p>In the court yard one day, after she had knocked Bruce to the ground again, sword pointed at his throat, she asked him the question that had been nagging at her since they first met.</p>
<p>"Why did you leave it all behind?"</p>
<p>"What?" Bruce questioned.</p>
<p>"Your house, your city, your money… your everything. Why did you leave it all?"</p>
<p>"It's not mine," he explained. "Not really. The manor is not my own. My parents redecorated it before I was born, and I can't bring myself to change it. I can't make it mind. The money is theirs too, and so is the business. Even the city is still theirs. People always compare me to them, and I don't live up to their legacy. Everyone loved them so much. I'm just a disappointing replacement for them. I couldn't deal with it anymore. I had to get away."</p>
<p>"What about the rest of your family? Or your friends?"</p>
<p>"I have no other surviving family, or any friends. Well, except for Alfred."</p>
<p>"Alfred?"</p>
<p>"My butler. It hurt to leave him, but I know he understands why I had to go off on my own. I really miss him though. Alfred has worked for my family my whole life, and he's the one who raised me after my parents died. I know that seems strange to most people," he said.</p>
<p>"Not to me," Talia told him. "I only came to live with my father after my mother died. I was 8 years old, and I barely knew him. He only came to visit a handful of times, and he was more interested in my mother than he was with me. <em>That's</em> strange."</p>
<p>"That must have been hard for you," Bruce said. "Only having a stranger for support after losing your mother. I don't know what would have happened if Alfred wasn't there for me after my mom and dad were killed."</p>
<p>"It was hard. It was the worst time in my life," Talia admitted. She had never dared to say that out loud before.</p>
<p>She tried not to cry, but she couldn't help a single teardrop from falling down her cheek. She hadn't cried in ages. Why did she have to now, in front of Bruce?</p>
<p>But Bruce didn't seem to mind. He stepped closer to her and reached his hand out. He gently brushed away the tear, letting his fingers linger on her skin for a moment before he pulled away. Talia took the same hand in her own and squeezed it.</p>
<p>It was only then that she noticed her father, watching her and Bruce from his bedroom window. They locked eyes and he grinned at her. It looked more like a grimace than a smile.</p>
<p>She quickly let go of Bruce's hand.</p>
<p>Things continued that way for two weeks. She and Bruce would have an intimate moment, and she'd actually be happy, but then she'd notice her father watching her. Each time he caught her getting too close to Bruce, the look of disapproval on his face would grow more severe.</p>
<p>So, she started distancing herself from Bruce. She'd shy away from his touch and would try to keep their conversations from becoming too personal. She could tell this hurt Bruce's feelings, and that he was confused by her sudden lack of affection for him, but Talia knew she was doing what was best for both of them. Things didn't go well for people who angered father.</p>
<p>That's why she was so perplexed when father burst into her bedroom one evening and grabbed her by the wrist.</p>
<p>"What do you think you're doing?!" He demanded.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Why are you pulling away from Bruce?! You should have got him into your bed ages ago?!"</p>
<p>"Wait, you want Bruce and I to get together… romantically?" Talia asked.</p>
<p>"You stupid girl," scolded her father. "What does it matter if there's romance? The important thing is just that you and Bruce have sex!"</p>
<p>"Wha- why? Talia could feel her face growing scarlet. "Why is it so important that Bruce and I… that we make love together?"</p>
<p>Father rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>"You're 18 now, an adult. Stop acting like a little girl! You're not going to burst into flames if you say the word sex."</p>
<p>Talia stared back at him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>"You know," he continued. "I used to think that all women are seductresses, that it was a trait inherent in your entire gender. Afterall, women are not as strong as men, and not nearly as smart, they need some way to get ahead in life. I guess I was wrong though, because my own daughter can't even get a man to kiss her, let alone fuck her."</p>
<p>"That's not true," Talia retorted, her shock starting to turn into rage. "Bruce would have kissed me, and he probably would have wanted to have sex with me too, and I would've let him!"</p>
<p>"Then why didn't you?"</p>
<p>"Because I thought that <em>you</em> didn't want me too! I saw you spying on us and you looked angry. I thought you were mad at how close we were getting, that you wanted me to act more professional. So, I started to pretend I wasn't interested in Bruce to avoid pissing you off."</p>
<p>"You fool! I was angry that things between you and Bruce weren't moving along fast enough. You shouldn't have been holding hands with him like you had a schoolgirl crush. You should have been showing him that you're a woman and getting him to-"</p>
<p>"Enough, I get it!" Talia interjected. "But how the hell did you expect me to know that <em>that's</em> what you wanted?"</p>
<p>"You would have been able to figure it out if you were smarter. Couldn't you see that I was trying to discreetly push you and Bruce together? I could have gotten anyone to teach him Arabic!"</p>
<p>Talia almost responded that if father were smarter, he would have just directly told her to fuck Bruce so they could have avoided this entire misunderstanding, but she decided it was best not to make father any more upset with her than he already was.</p>
<p>"Okay, I'm sorry," she said instead. "But I still don't understand why it's so important that I get Bruce to have sex with me. Why would that kind of thing matter to you?"</p>
<p>"Because you're a woman, and I need a male heir," her father stated it like it should have been obvious all along. "We've talked about this. I tried for many years to have the perfect heir, siring many children along the way, most of which are dead now. Don't look at me like that, I had no hand in any of their demises. Anyway, you are the closest I've gotten to producing the most perfect offspring possible. Your intelligence, athleticism, and leadership skills are everything I could ever wish for in my heir. The fact that you are female is you're only fault. I thought about trying to father and train other children, and I even looked into ways to change your sex and gender. But then I realized, the solution to my problem lies within you. You are capable of producing a flawless heir for me! My grandson will have all of your best qualities and more!"</p>
<p>Talia could have sworn her stomach rolled over.</p>
<p>"You want me to have a baby? Now!? But I'm only 18."</p>
<p>"Yes, best to start early in case you have a girl first."</p>
<p>"But I'm too young to be a mother. Why can't I wait just a few more years?"</p>
<p>"Who knows where Bruce will be in a few years? In him I have found the perfect father for my future grandson. He is just as smart as you, and with more training he will likely become as good as you in battle. Not to mention his money, and other resources. His children will be able to buy whatever they want, go wherever they want, do whatever they want. That will be vital in allowing my grandson to be able to best fulfill his duties to the league."</p>
<p>"But I wanted to wait until I was in love to have children. And I wanted to be married before I had sex. Mother always told me that I should save myself for marriage."</p>
<p>"So, get married to Bruce then," her father said like it meant nothing. "Fall in love with him, I don't care. It doesn't matter how my grandson gets here, just that he is here soon. I expect my first grandchild to be born by the time you're 20."</p>
<p>Father walked out of the room before Talia could respond. It wasn't up for discussion.</p>
<p>Talia didn't know what scared her more. The idea of becoming a mother so young and having to give the child to her father, or not fulfilling her father's expectations of her, the main purpose he required her to succeed at.</p>
<p>Over the next few months Talia and Bruce grew closer than ever before. Talia genuinely liked him, possibly even loved him, and she could see that he felt the same way about her.</p>
<p>She felt guilty, knowing that she was using him. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't truly deceit since her feelings for Bruce were true, but try as she might, she couldn't find a way to justify tricking a man into fatherhood.</p>
<p>They spent her 19th birthday together since father was away on "business," meaning he was off facilitating someone's murder. Talia didn't ask for details.</p>
<p>They had a very romantic dinner that Talia knew her father arranged, and then they sat together by the fire, sprawled out on the floor and drinking champagne straight out of the bottle.</p>
<p>"This is fun," Talia told him. It really was. She enjoyed any time she got to spend with Bruce. Still, the night was tainted by the knowledge that if father had his way, she'd have a child by this time next year.</p>
<p>"I have a birthday gift for you. Would you like to open it?" Bruce asked her.</p>
<p>"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything," she told him. "I'm just happy that I don't have to be alone on my birthday. I usually celebrate by having dinner with my father. Though you're much better company than him."</p>
<p>Talia giggled. She didn't usually drink, so she figured the alcohol was getting to her,</p>
<p>Bruce laughed too.</p>
<p>"Here," he said, pulling a small box out of his pocket. "I wish I'd had something to wrap it in."</p>
<p>Talia opened the box. It contained a striking brooch made up of an assortment of pearls and diamonds that fit together to form the shape of a swan.</p>
<p>"It's gorgeous! It's the most beautiful thing I've ever owned! Thank you so much!"</p>
<p>Talia kissed him on the cheek. And she did it out of genuine gratitude and affection for Bruce, not because she knew it was what her father would have wanted her to do.</p>
<p>"Do you really like it? I know that most women don't wear brooches anymore."</p>
<p>"Of course I do. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life, honestly."</p>
<p>"I'm glad," Bruce gave her a crooked smile. "It was my mother's. Before I left home, I wanted to take something of hers with me, and the brooch was the first thing I found that was small enough to carry around in my pocket." He laughed again.</p>
<p>"Oh, Bruce I didn't know this was your mothers. I really appreciate that you wanted to give it to me, but I can't accept something that must hold so much sentimental value for you. I don't deserve it."</p>
<p>"Yes, you do," Bruce assured her. "I have plenty of my mother's things, I can spare this one brooch. I just really wanted to give you something to show you how I feel about you. I'm sure you've noticed by now that I'm not great at expressing my emotions. I was hoping that you would realize that I wanted to give you something that is so special to me and my family because I love you."</p>
<p>"You love me?" Talia managed to ask. She was suddenly breathless.</p>
<p>"I do, I love you."</p>
<p>Talia gaped at him.</p>
<p>"It's okay, I don't expect you to say that you love me back or anything," Bruce continued. "I know we've only known each other for a few months. I just wanted you to know how I feel about you. I've never felt this way about anyone before."</p>
<p>"I… I love you too," Talia finally managed to get the words out. She wasn't surprised that she was saying them, she was surprised that she really meant it. She loved Bruce, and he loved her.</p>
<p>"Hold on one minute," she said before dashing out of the room. She came back a few moments later, a light pink ribbon in her hand. "I want you to have this. I know it's not much, especially compared to your gift, but my mother gave it to me before she died. I've held on to it for all these years. It's one of the only things I still have from my time with her. I could only give it away to someone I love with all my heart."</p>
<p>Bruce held the ribbon to his chest for a moment before putting it safely into his pocket so he wouldn't lose it. Then he started to lean towards her.</p>
<p>Before Talia could realize what this meant, Bruce's lips were on hers. He was kissing her, and she began to kiss him back. It was kind of awful. Talia had never kissed someone before, and she really didn't know what she was doing. They were out of sync, and both of their lips were really chapped from training out in the cold weather.</p>
<p>Still, she enjoyed it, and when it was over, all she wanted to do was kiss Bruce again.</p>
<p>So, she did.</p>
<p>To be continued…</p>
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